May 08, 2014

Let the Right One In at the Apollo Theatre

The Apollo Theatre has made a
quick and innovative recovery after its ceiling collapsed during a performance
of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (reviewed here) earlier this year. In its place, a
mystical purple-blue sky has appeared, with a full moon, twinkling stars, and
elongated tree branches. Much more pressing than the issue of a new ceiling,
the new concern has become the collapsing of boundaries with the stage
rendition of Let the Right One In, a National Theatre of Scotland
production. The book, a cult classic written by John Ajvide Lindqvist, has also
been adapted into Swedish and American films, both executed with severe
precision.

The Apollo Theatre's dreamy new ceiling

For all of you theatregoers, there are an abundance of tasty dining
options available to you before your show starts, conveniently situated near
your theatre. Luckily for my friend and me, T.G.I. Friday’s is very close to
the Apollo Theatre, which is near the Piccadilly Circus tube station. In fact,
we even ate there on a Friday, which was unplanned, but clearly befitting. I
suppose we had to quench our thirst before watching a blood-thirsty vampire on
stage…Trust me, nothing beats London at night when the streets are abuzz with
activity and restaurants are filled with fellow theatre patrons. Soak it up!
It’s all a part of the grand theatre experience.

T.G.I. Friday's anyone? Don't skimp on the brownies!

With a nod to vampires, and with specific emphasis on a female
vampire at that, Let the Right One In does feature the
macabre, but emphasizes an overarching theme of forbidden, transient love.
Where Edward Cullen from the Twilight saga has become a
household name, Eli (Rebecca Benson), our young yet strong main character in Let
the Right One In is a feisty addition to the vampire market. Vampires
are not all about sparkles or sexual appeal, as mass media romanticizes them as
of late. Eli is animalistic, sometimes smells funny according to her new friend
Oskar (Martin Quinn), and has an androgynous nature. No sparkles here then.

The play does not shy
away from the ravage beast that Eli attempts to hide inside of her. No, we are
subjected to a full-on blood bath, with Eli’s ravenous urges leading to stained
snow, sullied faces, and inevitable carnage. Although, the play’s program makes
a good point that perhaps the true monsters are the bullies. In the story,
Oskar is the victim of many taunts from his classmates, which makes for
uncomfortable ensuing scenes. Bullying is a product of society and the people
that inhabit it. Eli is a vampire and it is in her nature to kill, but the cruelty
of man is the most unsavory and unsatisfactory of all tastes.

The
stage set is chillingly lonely. A very convincing substitute for snow is
scattered across the landscape, while vast, barren trees stand at attention. A
single climbing frame is the main focus, but even its cold, metal structure can
be equated with frigidity. Oskar exchanges a Rubik’s cube with Eli, which
injects color into this otherwise colorless milieu. The Apollo Theatre always
yields outstanding acoustics, and this play is no exception. Let the
Right One In incorporates instances of modern dance, which marries up
with the modern music that extends the loneliness into a soundscape. The music
finds itself nestled in amongst the trees, which are used as tender dance
partners for the cast, and winds it way up into the rafters until it dissipates
into deafening silence.

The cast of Let the Right One In performs the tree dance sequences, photo courtesy of the Let the Right One In production

At first glance, it
appears that the characters in this grim tale are just as desolate and
emotionally devoid as their surroundings. However, Eli and Oskar’s innocent relationship
exists as the central theme of the play and in direct contrast to the necessary
horror. Eli’s former lover, Hakan (Clive Mendus), who kills for her and
supports her, pours acid on his face when he thinks he will be caught for his
misdeeds. Although a rather extreme form of love, love knows no end and
certainly is reciprocated in Eli’s “generosity.” She ends Hakan’s life for him
by doing what she knows best – draining blood.

The pivotal climbing frame where Oskar and Eli (Rebecca Benson) first meet, photo courtesy of the Let the Right One In production

The
closing scene of the play is a further illustration of this unfaltering love.
Oskar is preparing to do some laps at the swimming pool when the boys who have
been bullying him show up, one of them accompanied by his older brother. You
see, our underdog Oskar dared to bite back and harmed one of the boys, who have
returned to teach him a lesson. I was particularly curious as to how this scene
would be recreated, because it is one worthy of an accurate translation. The
brother, turning a knife over in his hand, gives Oskar an ultimatum: hold his
breath for three minutes underwater or else Oskar will be without his eye.
That’s when the climbing frame slowly started to swivel around.

Oskar's (Martin Quinn) bullies (Angus Miller and Graeme Dalling) pose a serious threat, photo courtesy of the Let the Right One In production

The back of the climbing frame quickly converted to its new
purpose as a tank, filling with water as soon as Oskar hopped inside. I was
honestly shocked at what was taking place before my eyes. Quinn, who plays
Oskar, actually remained underneath the water for what seemed like a
painstakingly long time. During that time, Eli reappears on the scene,
attacking and killing all of Oskar’s tormentors one by one. When he surfaces,
Eli is just whom he wants to see, bloodstains and all. Oskar always accepted
Eli for who or what she was. Who would have thought that it would take the love
story of a vampire and a young boy to clue us in to the life lesson of
acceptance?

Be sure to let the right one in and book
your tickets for the show here.